


The Street Lights Light Up the Town

by Chash



Category: Game of Thrones (TV), The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hollywood, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-17 02:51:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10584891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chash/pseuds/Chash
Summary: It basically goes like this: Bellamy is nervous about going on the red carpet, Clarke tells him to just go with Sansa and he'll be fine, some pictures are taken, and some people assume the James/Lily relationship is making the leap from fiction to reality.Clarke says they should just go with it; Sansa figures it can't hurt.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AliceInNeverNeverLand](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceInNeverNeverLand/gifts).



> Yo, so I haven't interacted with Game of Thrones as a series since, like, five episodes after Gendry got on the rowboat, and I've never written any Jonsa, so this is probably gonna be really rough. BUT this is for Mere's birthday so I'm just rolling with it as best I can.

It starts with their first red carpet show, for which Bellamy is, to put it mildly, unenthused.

"I guess that makes sense," says Clarke. "You hate people. And being famous."

"I don't hate being famous," he grumbles. He's lying on one of the couches in the green room with his arm over his face, the very picture of a tortured artist. "I hate being a public figure."

Clarke glances over at Sansa, who shrugs one shoulder. If anyone understands Bellamy, it's Clarke; however lost she is, Sansa is even more so.

But Clarke's not offering any suggestions, so Sansa asks, "Is there a difference?"

"Fame is cool. Fame is kids wanting me to pose for pictures and sign autographs. Being a public figure is having to have a twitter and people dissecting everything I do for secret Illuminati conspiracies."

"Okay, yeah, I get that," Clarke says. "But red carpets really aren't bad. Everyone's just going to care what you're wearing. So, nice suit, don't put grease in your hair, smile a lot. It's not _hard_ , Bellamy."

Of the young actors on _Marauders_ , Clarke was the most famous coming in to the show, at least in Hollywood terms. Her parents, like Sansa's, are famous, but they're involved in the entertainment business, and Clarke has been in the spotlight since she was small. She's absolutely the expert.

"Do I have to have a date?" he asks.

"You have Sansa," says Clarke, and Sansa startles. A lot of the time, she feels invisible when Bellamy and Clarke are talking to each other. After a rough first few weeks, the two of them allied in a way that, to an outsider, feels a little impenetrable. Not that she minds; it's mostly funny. She likes to send Arya snapchats with captions like _the most ridiculous_. Which is a lot easier when they aren't paying her any attention.

"What about me?" she asks.

"You'll be at the awards with Bellamy, so he doesn't need a date."

"Is that how it works?" asks Bellamy. "What if she has a date?"

When she was a little girl, Sansa definitely had romantic ideas about red carpets. She's been on a few herself now, but this will be her first one as an adult, the first where her escort isn't her father. And a part of her would like to have a handsome boy at her side like she always dreamed, someone to hold her arm and gaze at her adoringly and answer questions about when the wedding is.

Well, okay. She doesn't want _all_ those things anymore. But at least the first one. And Bellamy _is_ a very handsome boy.

"I don't, at the moment," she tells the two of them, when she realizes they're watching.

"See?" says Clarke. "You hang out with Sansa. Fans are happy, press gets a bunch of pretty pictures, you get off the red carpet as quickly as possible and go directly to the free bar."

Bellamy huffs. "Wow. You've really got this figured out. Why aren't you coming again?"

"Mary isn't a big deal," says Clarke, with an easy shrug. "No one asked me. Also, It's not like I like those things either. Better you than me."

"Thanks. Really."

She beams at him. "Any time."

The PA crackles, asking for her and Bellamy on the set, and Clarke taps her pen against her forehead in a salute as they go.

Once they're out of earshot, Sansa bumps her shoulder against Bellamy's, smiling. "You know, you could have just asked her to come with you."

"Shut up, Evans," he says, without any heat.

*

 **Bellamy** : Will people really know if my tie is a clip-on?

Clarke was planning to spend the day doing her nails and watching the red carpet coverage so she could make fun of Bellamy about it later, and the sound of her phone buzzing is a genuine surprise. But of course, it really shouldn't be. As far as Clarke's concerned, Bellamy genuinely has nothing to worry about: he's smart and charming and good at wearing confidence as a shield to hide his anxiety, and he's already winning over the press and the public when he appears for promotional events. 

But red carpets are the kind of Hollywood event that makes Bellamy twitchy, and Clarke is his expert on Hollywood stuff. It's almost enough to make her wish she'd been invited.

But not quite.

 **Me** : How do you not own a tie, Bellamy

 **Bellamy** : I own one  
Several  
I just suck at tying them  
And what do I do if they come untied?  
I don't want to have to admit on the red carpet that I can't tie my own ties, Clarke

 **Me** : If only there was an easy solution  
Like learning to tie your own ties

 **Bellamy** : Do you have anything helpful to say?

 **Me** : When are you leaving?

 **Bellamy** : Hour, hour and a half  
Meeting Sansa and we're going together, so I'm going a little early

 **Me** : Bring your stuff over here  
I've got this

Clarke sometimes isn't sure how she and Bellamy became friends. It feels like they shouldn't be; Bellamy got cast because he's charismatic and great at being charming and cocky. He's the kind of guy Clarke thinks of herself as not getting along with, post-Finn. 

But for all he'd been prickly toward her at first, she ended up respecting him in no time at all. Bellamy--the real Bellamy, the one that comes out when he's not trying to cover it up--is smart, responsible, and dedicated. He has a sense of humor that Clarke can best describe as "gallows dad jokes," which she finds funnier than anyone else on set does, and they're both natural worriers. They drifted together without really meaning to, because they kept worrying about the same things, and then fighting about how to resolve the issues. Which made her dislike him more, at first, but--it was hard to actually hate someone who cared as much about shit as she did, even if they disagreed.

And now, six months and change later, he's one of her best friends and favorite people, and if he needs help, she'll supply it.

Besides, he looks great all dressed up. She doesn't mind getting to enjoy it in person.

It only takes him twenty minutes to arrive, and, tie aside, he looks good when he does. Not that he doesn't usually look good, but he's tamed his hair without greasing it and he's wearing glasses with no lenses, which is probably the right way to do it. They're part of his character, and they really suit him, but this way there won't be glare issues. And he only looks a little like a sad hipster.

He also has five ties stuffed into his left pocket, so--good job, Bellamy.

"Don't you have a stylist or something?"

"Do you know how expensive college is? Either I have a stylist or my sister has textbooks. Besides, I've got you."

"I'm definitely not a stylist. Let me see the ties."

"I like the gray one," he says. "But I thought it might be too monochromatic."

"I've got a Gryffindor tie," she says. "You should definitely wear that."

"Why do you have a Gryffindor tie, Slytherin?"

She has to laugh. "My ex-girlfriend, actually. She left it here after we broke up."

"That would do it." He nods. "Yeah, that seems like a better choice than any of my options."

"Don't be nervous," she tells him. "You're not even up for any awards. You're just going for publicity."

"That's why I'm nervous," he says. "I don't have anything to do there but be a famous guy. If the camera ever hits me, I'm just going to look bored. I hate award shows."

"They're better when you're there. There's booze, and the first few are kind of novel." She finds the tie and loops it over his neck. He's wearing a little more cologne than usual, or maybe it's just not warring with all his stage makeup. He smells nice, either way. "Whisper to Sansa a lot. No one can hear you, and you'll look like you're engaged."

"Your life is so fucking weird. I can't believe you just know all this stuff."

She shakes her head. "I don't get how you ever got into acting, seriously."

"Someone paid me. And I do like acting. I just don't like everything else."

"Public figure," she supplies. "Yeah, I get it. You want to go home and be done. That's what hiatuses are for."

"Hiatuses are going to be for conventions, if they want me. Seriously, college is a lot of money. And I might not get another good role after this. I've got to milk it while I can."

"You're James Potter. You can do conventions for life. Which is all being a public figure, by the way."

"I think it's going to be better. I'll practice." She's close enough she can see his throat bob when he swallows. "Aren't I supposed to be learning how to tie my own tie?"

"You're going to do one on me after. But this way you're ready when you need to go."

He swallows again, and Clarke doesn't want to be this aware of him. He's--Bellamy. He's going to be a star. This is the first step. Clarke just knows he's going to be huge. And she's not sure she is. She's not sure she wants to be. She tried out for _Marauders_ because she loves the books, and after this she doesn't even know if she wants to keep going with acting. But Bellamy--he's the next big thing. She's calling it. And that means it's not a good idea, being aware of him like this.

"Thanks," he says. "Believe it or not, I know I'm overreacting."

"I believe it. You're pretty self-conscious."

"Thanks."

"It's not a bad thing," she says. "I mean, not by itself. It just means you're aware of yourself."

"Basically all the time, yeah."

"Like I said, not a bad thing for you. Most of the time." She tugs the tie straight and looks him over, satisfied. He looks _perfect_. "Okay, your turn. Tie me."

"Isn't it easier on someone else?"

"So do it on someone else and take it off them," she says. "I assume your sister wouldn't mind."

"Big assumption." But he's smiling as he studies the tie around her neck. "But I assume you're always willing to help me out with this stuff."

"Yeah," she says, because it's not like he's wrong. "But your life would probably be easier if you just figured out how to do it yourself."

He knots the tie flawlessly on the first try, probably better than she did with his, and _smirks_.

He's the next Brad Pitt. Clarke just knows it.

"Thanks for the tip. I'll text you once no one will notice I'm doing it."

"Remember, smile a lot and give short, positive answers."

"I can't wait until you have to come to one of these," he says, dark, and then he's gone, and Clarke settles back in to watch.

He looks perfect, of course, and he and Sansa make a gorgeous couple. Twitter is going to eat this up, and Clarke feels a twinge that she tells herself, very firmly, is happiness. This is good for them. This is good, globally speaking.

He's been off the red carpet for roughly five minutes when the text comes.

 **Bellamy** : Did I smile enough?  
Did I make Sansa look bad?

 **Me** : You guys were perfect  
I swear

 **Bellamy** : Thanks  
Couldn't have done it without you

This twinge? This one's definitely happiness.

*

Arya texts at seven-fifteen in the morning, which is either a sign that she's up early or never went to sleep. With Arya, it can always go either way. 

Sansa, meanwhile, let Margaery Tyrell talk her into going to an after party--which Bellamy insisted on escorting her to, because he is defined, more than anyone else Sansa has ever met, by being an older brother--and didn't get back until quite late, and apparently forgot to turn her phone to do-not-disturb mode, so--well, she's not happy.

 **Arya** : I didn't know you were dating Bellamy Blake  
Jon also didn't know, but tbh Jon never knows anything  
Gendry didn't know but also doesn't ever want to know, so  
Three of four people didn't know  
If you didn't know, that's everyone I've asked

Sansa blinks at the phone a few times, trying to put the words into the correct order. It's a lot of information about people who didn't know she was dating Bellamy.

Which she isn't.

 **Me** : I didn't either  
Why do you think I am?  
I'm not

 **Arya** : A picture is worth  
Well  
I don't know how many words were in all the articles I saw  
But there was also more than one picture  
So I don't know how to figure out the picture-to-word conversion rate  
There was a red carpet  
And then there was something after  
Involving the two of you staggering out of a cab  
I can send links if you want

 **Me** : No, I don't WANT  
But I probably should see  
It was just some after party  
We were sharing a cab  
There isn't kissing, is there?  
I wouldn't have kissed him  
I'm pretty sure

 **Arya** : No, no kissing  
Just drunken staggering  
But it does look very couple-y  
Jon was completely fooled

 **Me** : Well, you can tell him and anyone else who cares  
I'm not dating Bellamy Blake

 **Arya** : I think that's what you would say if you WERE dating him tho  
[chin rub emoji]

 **Me** : BYE

Sansa flops onto her back on the bed, rubbing her face. It's not a big deal. There were going to be rumors about her and Bellamy no matter what, sooner or later, or her and another costar. Sansa's never been a big name or anything, nothing more than scattered genre roles before she got cast as Lily, but she understands how this works. People always read into these kinds of relationships. They'll want her and Bellamy to be dating.

But she doesn't want Arya to think that or, even worse, Jon. Because she would like, very much, for Jon Snow to not only care that she's single, but to be happy about it. Which, admittedly, feels a little silly sometimes. She grew up with Jon; his family lived in the house next door, and he hung around with Robb and Theon, and Arya tagged along after them. Sansa, of course, was above all that; she couldn't see the appeal in running around hitting people with sticks, so she didn't get involved.

Well, except for once, when they decided they wanted a princess. Arya flatly refused to do it and said she'd knock any of their teeth out if they tried to make her, and for all she was a good four years younger than Jon, who was the youngest of the three of them, none of them really wanted to try her.

So Sansa was the princess, and Arya was the dragon defending her, and she got distracted fighting with Robb and Theon, leaving Jon as the only one who remembered that he was supposed to be rescuing the princess.

He was eleven, at the time, and Sansa was nine. She was being a princess, and she had _opinions_ about how these things went. If she was being rescued, Jon was going to kiss her. That was how it _worked_. 

"Princesses aren't really rescued until they get kissed," she informed him. "Otherwise it doesn't count."

Jon was always a quiet boy, or maybe it was just that Theon was louder, and Robb cared more about making himself heard. But the way he was looking at her then felt quiet. She wasn't expecting him to say much.

And all he did say was, "If it won't count," and then he gave Sansa her first kiss.

It lasted all of two seconds before the sound of brawling in the yard startled them apart, but it was a nice two seconds. Sansa tried to inform them that she had been rescued and the fight could stop, but by that point, no one cared about her anymore.

So she left them to their fighting, and within a year, Jon's family had moved away, and she assumed she'd never see him again. Which she didn't, until Arya started at UCLA, and Jon was there too, in his first year of grad school. Sansa doesn't see him often, but he currently lives with Arya and her boyfriend Gendry and a friend of theirs whose legal name may or may not be "Hot Pie" in a weird apartment that looks like it came straight from a zany roommate sitcom.

Which makes her and Jon friends now, mostly. Just friends who don't see each other very often, and who are, admittedly, a little bit awkward together.

And if Sansa occasionally thinks about how he's probably much better at kissing at twenty-five than he was at eleven, that's her business and hers alone. She'd just like him to know it's an option. Because she's not dating Bellamy Blake. Or anyone else.

"Fuck," she mutters, and goes to find the pictures on her phone.

As pictures go, they're incriminating but ambiguous. The red carpet ones are normal, just two coworkers chatting and enjoying each other's company. They look fond of each other, but they _are_ fond of each other. It's not as if that's wrong.

The party ones are worse, but still not conclusive evidence. If Sansa hadn't been there personally, she might think something was going on, but she doesn't think there are any gaps in her memory, any missing piece where she and Bellamy took the next step in their relationship. Just two friends, going to a party together.

Satisfied, she rolls over and goes back to sleep.

The next time she wakes up, it's because Bellamy is calling her. Which is fairly alarming in and of itself. She's not sure Bellamy's ever called her. She didn't think he knew his phone had a call function.

"Hello?"

"My agent thinks we should date."

"Your agent wants to date you?" she asks, innocent.

"Cute," he says. She can hear him sigh. "She thinks that if we just act like we're together in public, at events like this, whatever, it would be good publicity." Another pause, and then he says, "Clarke thought it was a good idea."

Sansa would like to say it's a surprise, but that sounds like exactly the kind of thing Clarke and Bellamy would end up talking themselves into. That's how they are.

"Did she say why?"

"So I won't be as nervous about going out in public. And it gives me something to talk about. You too. Plus, you know. Everyone loves a good off-screen romance." He huffs. "You can stop me any time. I'm not invested in this. I'm just passing along what I've been told."

Her phone buzzes again, and it's Arya, texting, _Literally the ENTIRE INTERNET (that cares about you) thinks you are dating Bellamy Blake, I think you're outvoted_.

Sansa sighs. "Does Clarke really think it's a good idea?"

"Apparently."

 _Fifty Frenchmen can't be wrong_ , she texts Arya, who will not get the reference because she thought Disney movies where for girls as a child, but it's the thought that counts. Then she tells Bellamy, "I'll think about it," hangs up, and buries her face in her pillow.

*

 **Sansa** : Is there a reason you're telling your crush to date me?  
Is this part of some complicated scheme?  
I'm happy to help, I just don't understand my role in this  
What am I supposed to be doing?

Clarke regards the texts with some trepidation, trying to figure out her best response. It's probably not just _Bellamy_ , even though that's tempting.

The thing is, Clarke does have some (very mild, barely worth mentioning, totally overcome-able) feelings for Bellamy, but Bellamy doesn't return those feelings, so Clarke is going to stop having them. That's how it works. Bellamy doesn't do relationships; he flirts (sometimes with Clarke) and has one-night stands occasionally, and never seems to date. Which is fine, good for him. It's what makes Sansa a good strategic option. She knows Bellamy, she likes Bellamy, and even if she does want to date someone else, she'd probably be happier having some sort of publicity beard.

It's a perfect solution for everyone. Clarke's crush doesn't need to be involved.

 **Me** : Whatever you want  
It's good buzz, I'd roll with it if I were you  
Which is exactly what I told him, btw  
There's no scheme  
Just growing up in Hollywood experience

 **Sansa** : I don't even know how to have a fake relationship

 **Me** : That's the best part  
It's really easy  
You're already doing it

 **Sansa** : My sister did text me at seven a.m. to ask when I started dating him

 **Me** : Like I said, roll with it  
It'll be more trouble to pretend you're not

 **Sansa** : What if I already told my sister that it's not true?

 **Me** : Tell her you're pretending it is  
If she's anything like my friends, she already thinks your life is weird

 **Sansa** : Honestly, I'm not sure she believed me anyway  
So maybe the work is already done  
This is really all it is?

 **Me** : Judging from the internet, yeah  
You're set

 **Sansa** : Unbelievable  
But thanks, I guess

 **Me** : Any time

It's all true, but Clarke still feels like a bit of an asshole for trying to talk her into it. She's not trying to set them up; she honestly doesn't really think they're like that. As far as she knows, they have no romantic interest in each other at all. It's pure strategy.

Or, well, ninety-percent strategy. It's possible that having a fake girlfriend will scare off real people who want to actually date him, and she'll continue having him all to herself. But she already has him all to herself, really, so maybe she really is doing the right thing as an unbiased observer.

She still calls him as soon as she's done with Sansa.

"Did you find more pictures of me?" he asks, by way of greeting. "I don't think I blacked out."

"Nope, I think I got all of those," she says. "I'm just bored on my day off. You want hang out?"

There's a long pause. "Just like that?"

"Sorry, is there another way to hang out?"

"Probably not, no. Am I bringing anything? Do you care that I'm hungover?"

"Up to you and no. I just want to watch Netflix, not alone."

"I'm getting some weird mixed signals from you," he remarks. "First you want me to fake date someone else, now you want to Netflix and chill--it's a lot to process, Clarke."

"If everyone thought we were dating, I'd tell you to fake-date me instead."

There's what _feels_ like a significant pause, but probably isn't. Definitely not. "Yeah?" he asks. "Good to know. See you in like forty minutes."

"That long?"

"Yeah, I haven't showered yet. Trust me, you don't want to see me right now. I look like something died on my head and I smell like it too. I'm planning to fall asleep on you, so the least I can do is make myself presentable."

She has to smile. "Fine, forty minutes. I'll order pizza."

*

Because Arya lives with--not to put too fine a point on it--a bunch of nerds, her apartment has weekly game nights, and at least once a month, Arya makes a point to schedule it such that Sansa can actually show up. Which she would like to do more often, honestly, but she is _busy_. Once hiatus starts, it will get easier, but for now, she's the female lead on a TV show, and that takes a lot of time. And everyone else has tough schedules too, so they get it. But she and Arya are the only members of their family in California--the only members of their family in _the United States_ , even, with the rest of the Starks still up north, either trying to take control of basically the entire Canadian government (everyone but Bran) or run off to live in the woods with whatever wildlife will adopt him (Bran)--and she likes to make time to see her sister. Their early animosity over their differing approaches to femininity has tempered into affection, and Sansa really _is_ glad Arya followed her down here, for all Arya claims that's not what happened.

So when, for the first Saturday game night after the awards show, Arya says, "You should bring your boyfriend," Sansa feels like she probably might as well. 

She also brings Clarke, because Clarke is always looking for things to do, ideally with Bellamy, and Monty, who plays Sirius, because Monty seems like the kind of person who will appreciate a board game night. And, given how quickly he agrees, it seems like she was right.

The show has been on actual TV for almost two months, and is definitely capital-P _Popular_ , so Sansa is expecting all her costars to be recognized. But she also assumes Arya warned everyone that celebrities were coming, so they'll be on their best behavior. 

Which is both true and not true, depending on how you define _best behavior_.

"Hi," says Jon, opening the door for them just as Arya yells, "Idiot!" It's followed by a loud crash, and Jon winces, very slightly, before adding, "They're discussing the DC cinematic universe."

Monty lights up. "Awesome. I want in on that. Bring back bat nipples!" he yells, and then he's in the fray.

Sansa smiles at Jon. "That was Monty. This is Bellamy and Clarke. Bellamy, Clarke, this is Jon Snow. He lived next door when we were growing up."

There are handshakes all around, and Jon gets them drinks, and then Clarke glances at Bellamy. "Honestly, I kind of want to hear Monty defend bat nipples."

He snorts. "Of course you do. It's cool. We won't think you're rude at all." He gestures with his beer for her to go, but doesn't follow her, which is either a sign he's going along with the ridiculous fake-dating scheme here or is trying to play it cool.

Either way, it's probably not going to work, but Sansa won't stop him.

"So, what do you do, Jon?" he asks.

"I'm a programmer," he says. "Computer stuff. Nothing--" His smile is wry, and Sansa knows he has this conversation a lot. "I haven't worked on any apps you've heard of or anything, but I like it."

"That's cool. Up until _Marauders_ , I hadn't done anything anyone had heard of either."

They lapse into silence, which isn't exactly surprising. Sansa's probably going to have to take the lead on this conversation. She wasn't expecting them to do it.

"What are we playing tonight?" she asks Jon.

"I think we have two options, since there are so many of us. Pandemic, for everyone who doesn't want to fight, and something called Bloodborne for everyone who does."

"So, everyone in that conversation?" Bellamy asks.

Jon smiles, a little weakly. "That might be how it goes, yes. But if you're more interested in--"

"No, I like Pandemic. My best friend is really into board games, so I've played a lot of them."

"Really?" Sansa asks. She's met his sister, but none of his friends. Honestly, she assumed Clarke was about 90% of his social life. 

Bellamy gives her a smirk. "Yeah. Monty has this long-term, Magic-the-Gathering-based plan to date him. They go to tournaments together and Monty pretends he doesn't speak English so people won't recognize him."

"Does that work?"

He shrugs. "Never overestimate white people." His gaze flicks to Jon, and Sansa can't tell if he's gauging his reaction to the statement or just looking him over. "You don't want to play Bloodborne?"

"They're both fun," says Jon. "I'm hoping to play both. But I'll start with you two on Pandemic, I think." There's another crash, and he winces. "I'm worried about actual bloodshed in there," he admits, and Sansa smiles.

"Always," she agrees. "Let's go make sure there isn't anything."

But overall, it's nice. A little awkward, at first, and Hot Pie definitely has some kind of awkward hero worship for Clarke, but she takes it in stride, and once she betrays him for the first time in the game, he gets over it. They order pizza and she and Bellamy and Jon and Gendry save the world from disease, and then she is truly and abysmally awful at Bloodborne. Which is fun in its own way.

Bellamy drove everyone over, because they don't live _that_ far apart and he's a mother hen, so he's also the one to take them home at the end of the night. To Sansa's surprise, he drops Clarke off first, and then Monty, leaving her for last.

It's less surprising when he clears his throat and says, "Jon."

Sansa doesn't stiffen or frown. She's steel. "What about him?"

"Not that it's any of my business, but--he seemed kind of jealous."

"Of what?"

"Me."

Absurdly, Sansa feels as if she must be misunderstanding him. As if he's talking about something other than what he clearly is.

"I figured you probably told them we weren't--I didn't know I was supposed to be pretending to be your boyfriend while we were there."

She has to smile. "Are you asking if you were supposed to be defending me from Jon?"

"Not really. Just checking in. Seemed like you liked him fine, so--I thought he'd know we're not a thing."

So far, all they've really done to be "a thing" is not deny that they are one and gotten photographed going to a Starbucks on the way to work, which wasn't even on purpose. But it's apparently a slow week for celebrity news.

"I told Arya that we weren't and she was supposed to tell the others. But I'm not sure she believed me."

"Yeah, I doubt O would have believed me if she didn't already think I had a thing for Clarke."

"You do have a thing for Clarke," Sansa points out.

"Yeah, it's the perfect cover," he says, making her smile.

"For what, exactly?"

"Not having a thing for you." He smiles too, sheepish. "It's not really that obvious, is it? How I feel about her."

"Sorry," says Sansa, not managing to sound like she means it at all.

"At least she hasn't noticed. Right?" 

He's so hopeful, she feels a little guilty. It's just--they're absurd. Completely.

"Somehow no." She wets her lips. "I have these conversations with her too, you know. About how obvious she is about you."

There's a long pause. "What does she say about it?"

"Ask her yourself."

He ducks his head on a laugh. "Yeah, I deserved that. Well, uh--I've never really talked to Jon about this, but if we weren't strangers, I would be. So--you should ask him too. I'm just saying."

"Thanks," says Sansa. "Maybe I will."

*

Oddly enough, Clarke doesn't have many actual scenes with Bellamy in the show, especially not a lot of scenes with _just_ Bellamy. Mary and James aren't close, and she doesn't really like him. The show starts late in their Hogwarts careers, late enough Lily is starting to come around on James, but Mary is still waiting for the punchline, for whenever James shows his true colors. After Severus, Mary just thinks that maybe, Lily has very bad taste in boys.

So it makes sense to have James try to win her over.

"This is weird, right?" Bellamy asks. They're on set, but not quite ready to roll yet. No one else is around, and it's kind of nice, with no one paying attention to them.

"What?"

"This. Acting together."

Clarke smiles. "We're actors. We met because we're on the same show. We act together all the time."

"Not that much. And not like this."

She could pretend she doesn't know what he means, but she does. For most of the cast, they're actors first and friends second. She got to know Sansa-as-Lily before she got to know her as herself. But Bellamy is _Bellamy_.

"It's not as weird as you think. I was in a movie with my mom."

"Because you and your mom are so tight," he teases.

"Sorry, are you telling me I should have an easier time pretending I don't know my mom than that I don't know you?" she asks, but she knows she sounds just as amused as he does. Acting with her mom was hard, but in a different way; it was one of her earlier roles, and she was nervous she wouldn't do a good enough job, that she wasn't _really_ an actress. She didn't think their real relationship would bleed in, not in any bad ways. But--she's supposed to _not like him_. It's hard to remember not liking him.

Bellamy looks oddly somber, and he waits for Clarke to turn her full attention to him before he clears his throat, meets her eyes. "I'm just thinking it's going to be weird if James obviously has way more of a thing for Mary than he has for Lily," he says, deliberate. "So I better be a really good actor, or I'm going to start a new ship."

Clarke's jaw drops as she waits for the punchline that doesn't come. Of course she knew he wasn't interested in Sansa. She'd gotten that much. But--that didn't mean he was into _her_. Or anyone. He's not--he's--

"All right," says Roan, startling Clarke. She probably would have heard him coming, if she wasn't still slack-jawed and reeling. "Are we ready to go? Bellamy, Clarke?"

"Ready," says Bellamy. His voice is even, like nothing happened at all. Like he didn't just say--well, what, exactly? Maybe she's reading into it. He wasn't saying much, except that he's more attracted to her than he is to Sansa. Which isn't even a huge surprise. 

But she can't imagine he'd be so purposeful about saying it if he wasn't really serious. Really, if he wasn't serious, if that wasn't a _confession_ , then there wasn't any reason to say it at all.

"Clarke?" Roan prompts.

"Ready," she says, only a little absently. 

In a way, it actually works for the scene. James and Mary have to work together on a project for Potions, and James is taking it as an opportunity to get on her good side. But he's matured enough to realize that just pure charm isn't going to have much of an effect, so he's trying to just be a good partner and show how much he's grown up since they were first years. Mary is off-balance and confused, and the two of them actually end up bonding over their worries about the push against muggle-borns and halfbloods. 

So it's not bad for Clarke to be a little wary and a little charmed, almost against her will. It's not a romantic scene, but it is a revelation, and she can work with that. She's not a big fan of enforced method acting, but--if this was Bellamy, telling her he likes her, she can live with it.

But if it was anything else, she's going to be pretty pissed.

Roan does remind him that James shouldn't be flirting with Lily's friends if he wants to win her over, at some point, and Bellamy just ducks his head on a flush and says, "It's not my fault I'm naturally charming."

"That's definitely not your issue," Clarke tells him, and that makes him smile too.

"Unnaturally charming," he corrects. "Supernaturally."

"Dork," says Clarke, and the next take is so easy.

They really do work well together.

He's waiting for her when she gets out of her dressing room, bouncing a little with nervous energy. His hair even messier than normal, like he's been tugging on it, and he looks like a little kid, pretending he isn't on the lookout for his crush.

And he lights up at the sight of _her_. 

"So, uh, did it work?" he asks.

"I don't know. What were you trying to do?"

His tongue darts out to wet his lips. "I think the whole Sansa thing with the red carpet is stupid. You're the expert, and I don't know why I'd pretend to date someone I'm not interested in when I could just bring--"

"The person you're interested in," Clarke supplies.

"You," he says. "Yeah." His smile goes a little crooked. "I was fishing for you to come the first time, and you just told me--"

A surprised laugh bubbles out of her. "You know, if you want me to be your date to something, it's a lot easier if you just ask."

"I want you to be my date to everything, Clarke." He pauses, but she's smiling so much it feels almost painful, so he leans in, brushes his nose against hers. "Like maybe dinner tonight. To start with."

"Takeout," she says, and closes the distance between them for a kiss. "Definitely takeout."

He laughs and slides his arms around her, kissing back through his own smile. "Yeah. I like the way you think."

*

Bellamy's friend Miller, either by genuine coincidence or through an impressive and probably slightly illegal scheme, schedules a game night of his own on a night when Arya and Gendry already have plans with Hot Pie, and invites Sansa and any of her friends who might want to come. Sansa assumes it was Bellamy's idea, since his newfound relationship bliss with Clarke isn't quite all-consuming enough to make him forget that Sansa has a life that could be meddled in, so he's probably trying to help. Which is sweet.

She doubts he's actually gone so far as to stalk her sister to make sure that she wouldn't be involved; that part is--Sansa genuinely hopes--a coincidence. But she'd be lying if she said it wasn't a welcome one.

She offers to pick Jon up, and he looks genuinely surprised when the front seat of the car is empty. To the extent that he tries to get in the back.

"You can sit up front. I'm not a chauffeur."

He smiles, sheepish. "I thought we might be picking up your costars, I didn't want--"

"No, they're riding over together. It's just the two of us."

"Oh," he says, and shakes himself before he slides into shotgun.

It occurs to Sansa that she's not actually sure she and Jon have ever actually been _alone_ like this. They've been apart from the group, separate and involved in their own conversation, but it hasn't just been the two of them without anyone else nearby.

She wouldn't mind if it happened more often.

"Whose party is this again?" he asks, once they're on their way.

"Bellamy's friend Miller," says Sansa. "The one he told us wants to date Monty. I haven't met him yet either."

"Another actor?"

She clucks her tongue. "Bellamy said he did more live theater than film or television, but yes. Some kind of actor."

Jon nods. "Well, thank you for inviting me. I hope you don't mind that I said yes."

"I wouldn't have invited you if I didn't want you to say yes," she teases, gentle. "It would have been easy for me to keep you from coming."

"Yes, but--you asked everyone, and no one else could come."

"And I'm very happy you could. You know," she can't help adding, "you could have mentioned this before you were in my car."

"Well, I did _want_ to come," he says, and Sansa doesn't let herself smile nearly as much as she wants to.

The man who opens the door greets Sansa with, "Sup, Evans," and then offers his hand to Jon. "Hey, I'm Nate Miller. Everyone else is going to call me Miller, so just go with it. Thanks for coming by."

"Thank you for having us," says Sansa. "I'm Sansa, and this is my friend Jon."

"Yeah, that polite thing isn't going to last. Bellamy and Clarke are already about to murder each other over some indie game, so just start swearing and throwing punches whenever it feels right. You want beer?"

Jon looks a little spooked, and Sansa tries not to smile. But she does pat his arm. "I'll protect you from all the over-competitive actors," she assures him, and his own smile is all warmth.

"My hero."

Clarke's brought her own friend, Raven, who is apparently dating their director, Roan, so he's here too, which is only a little alarming. And much less alarming than the fact that's very much a _couples_ affair, or at least a paired off one. And there's something a little funny in watching Jon flail around, feeling guilty that he's the one who seems to have been paired off with Sansa, instead of Bellamy. If it was just a little less funny, she'd tell him that Bellamy's always been more of a pair with Clarke, even before they were dating, but it _is_ that funny.

And there might be a part of her that's just waiting for him to ask what's going on with her and Bellamy. She'd like for him to admit he cares first, before she admits that there's nothing.

She'd like to feel like he's worried, so she can tell him he has nothing to worry about.

They end up playing some strange game called Broom Service with Bellamy and Clarke, which is about as awkward as she would have expected, as groupings go. Clarke and Bellamy tease and trash-talk and flirt without ever actually doing anything that says _couple_ instead of _extreme sexual tension_.

They really might have planned this. It's more effort than Sansa would have expected from Bellamy. At least more effort than she would have expected for her love life.

So it makes sense when Clarke asks, "Is this working?" while Jon is in the bathroom.

Sansa opens and closes her mouth a couple times, and then settles on, "What are you doing?"

"Clarke's all about complicated schemes," Bellamy says, but he sounds fond. "I still think it would make more sense to just tell him we're not together."

"It's better if he asks than if she tells," says Clarke. Sansa has to admit, it's a little strange to have her acting like some kind of expert, when she and Bellamy spent six months being complete failures. "Then she knows he cares."

"Look, not to be that guy, but, first, he definitely cares, and second, he probably thinks that I'm actually thinking about cheating on her, which would be something a friend would care about. Last time it meant something," he adds quickly. "All he thought was that we were a thing, and he was definitely jealous. You don't really need more data here. He's into you." He glances at Clarke, mouth pulling up at one side, and then turns his attention back to Sansa. "Besides, I asked Clarke. Your turn."

Clarke raises her eyebrows. "Asked me what?"

"Apparently we're all gossiping about each other all the time," he says. "She said you guys talk about me, but I had to ask you what you were saying."

"That you're ridiculous," Clarke says, easy, and Bellamy grins and leans in to kiss her.

Which is, of course, right when Jon gets back. The surprise isn't written _all_ over his face; Jon isn't one of those people who wears his feelings on his sleeve. But she can tell he's thrown off by the sight, and even more thrown off by her own nonchalance.

But he just sits and smiles at the group. "So, who was last brave?" he asks, and Sansa smiles down at her lap.

Part of her wants to pull him aside to explain, but it does feel a little weird, for her to do that. After all, he hasn't said anything. What would he think if she just said, _by the way, in case you were wondering, I was never dating Bellamy and Arya should have told you I wasn't_. She doesn't even know, for sure, that Arya _didn't_ tell him that. For all she knows, she and Bellamy are reading him wrong.

But Bellamy did say something to Clarke based on her recommendation, so fair is fair. It's Sansa's turn.

The two of them are a team in something called Codenames, playing against Roan and Raven. Sansa plays the role of spymaster while Jon is her operative, and it's really shocking, how well they work together, how easily he follows her clues, understands her logic.

They're a good team, and when she grins at him, full of victory, at the end of the game, his dazed, pleased expression makes her heart skip.

It's the best, and she'd like to do this more often. She's tired of having to come up with excuses to see Jon Snow, when the only real excuse she has is that she _wants_ to see him. And that's all the excuse she should need.

In the car, she's trying to figure out how to phrase it and coming up empty. Bellamy didn't tell her _what_ he said to Clarke, just sat down next to her one morning and said, "You need a new red carpet date. I've got my own now."

She could have asked, but he looked so pleased, she just congratulated him, and, really, it's a personal thing, isn't it? If Bellamy wanted her to know, he'd tell her. It can be their private story.

Jon clears his throat before she's come up with anything. "I assume you aren't dating Bellamy Blake."

"No," she says, and glances away from the road for a quick smile. "I never was. I told Arya, but I don't know if she told you. Or if you--" She cuts herself off. "No. We just went to an awards show together, and then to an after party. He's been in love with Clarke since--well, it didn't take long."

"She told Gendry that you said you weren't dating him," says Jon, careful. "They debated if you were telling the truth, or just didn't want to tell Arya about it, or you wanted to be dating him but weren't yet, without really resolving it, that I heard. I didn't get involved."

"But you were listening. And paying attention. To us, I mean. Me and Bellamy. I didn't know you were so interested in celebrity gossip," she teases.

He's flushing a slight, dull red. "It's none of my business. I didn't mean to--"

"No," she says, quickly. "I don't mind it being your business. I'd--I'd like it to be." She lets out a soft breath. She can do this. "After all, now that Bellamy has a real girlfriend, I'm going to need an escort for red-carpet events. A date. If you'd be interested."

"Do you have one coming up?" he asks. His tone is somehow surprised and stiff all at once, a little wary.

Maybe it shouldn't make her feel better, but it's oddly reassuring. He doesn't get it, but in the most encouraging way. "No," she says. "I have no idea when the next one is. But I'm sure I could come up with some other things I need dates for. Movies, dinners, game nights. If you're interested."

She keeps her eyes on the road with an effort, even as the pause draws out. Even as she thinks he's trying to come up with a way to let her down easily, because he would, wouldn't he? He'd be nice about it.

But then he says, "Let me know when you come up with something. I'd be happy to escort you anywhere," and she lets herself beam.

When she drops him off, he leans over and kisses her goodbye, quick and chaste, and she laughs.

"I was hoping you'd gotten better at that since you were eleven," she teases, and he _smirks_.

"I have," he promises, and leans back in to demonstrate. Very thoroughly.

She lets herself keep on beaming all the way home.

*

"I might not have thought this through," says Clarke.

"Which part?" asks Bellamy. They made it through the red carpet and now he's making a beeline for the free drinks, because he's the best and she adores him. 

"The Sansa part."

That makes him frown. "What did you need to think about for that? Did Jon not dress himself well enough? You want to teach him how to tie a tie too?"

"I didn't _want_ to teach you," she protests. "You lied and told me you didn't know."

"I wanted you to see how hot I looked in my suit." He orders two ciders and hands her one. "Seriously, what's the issue with Sansa? They looked good. They seemed happy. You don't have to help with everything."

"It's not that. Just--people really do think you guys are dating. Somehow they're way better at getting candids of you and her than you and me."

"She has red hair," he says. "It's easy to spot. That's a problem?"

"Not a _problem_. But you know how celebrity gossip works. You guys were dating, now you're showing up to an event with other people. So--" She thinks it over. Bellamy's smiling, looking wryly amused, so she figures she should go for the most ridiculous explanation. Just to keep him smiling. "I'm guessing the story is going to be that you guys are being kept apart by the network. You want to be together, but someone on the show doesn't believe in your love, so--"

He holds up his hand for her to stop. "Wait. I thought you said us dating would be good publicity for the show. My agent definitely said that."

"I think it would be. We're not talking about the _truth_ , Bellamy. We're talking about the narrative. And I bet the narrative is going to be that you don't really love me and I'm just your cover to hide how you're really dating Sansa."

"That makes absolutely no sense. Should I have kissed you more out there? Would that help?"

"If people are really convinced you two were dating, nothing is going to help."

"Huh. Well, that's good too, right?"

Her eyebrows go up. "Which part?"

"I hear all publicity is good publicity. If a bunch of people are talking about what combination of us are dating whom, they're talking about the show. So--this could still work, right? In your professional Hollywood opinion."

Clarke has to smile, slide her arm into his and give him a squeeze. "I think this could work, yeah. But that has nothing to do with Hollywood."

"Yeah?"

"Not even a little."

He grins and ducks his head down for a quick kiss. "Cool. I don't give a fuck about Hollywood."

Clarke can see Sansa and Jon have just come in; Sansa looks like a goddess, as usual, and Jon looks a little like he got hit in the face with a cast-iron skillet, but in a handsome and presentable way. When Sansa catches her eye, Clarke smiles and waves them over, leaning her head on Bellamy's shoulder. "Yeah," she agrees. "Screw Hollywood. This one's for us."


End file.
